"Public broadcasting has a lot of friends in the world today - but they do not always seem to be loving quite the same thing, and certainly not for the same reasons. For some, the term merely refers to radio and television which is not commercial, following the common distinction between public and
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private enterprises. For others it means a service provided to the public - much like public schools or public health facilities. And just as there is general agreement that these will be provided by the state for the benefit of all citizens, the same is taken to apply to broadcasting. Terms like national broadcaster or state broadcaster or public broadcaster are thus used interchangeably, as if they all denoted one and the same thing. For yet another group of friends, public broadcasting is the natural home of all that is great and good and worthy on the airwaves, far removed from the plain offerings of commercialism and entertainment. This Tool Box will dissect some of these myths and misperceptions, so that an informed debate can be held on what exactly public broadcasting is all about, and to assist its real friends in civil society in their advocacy work. It will describe more precisely what makes a public broadcaster the very opposite of a state broadcaster, what it can do and should be doing, and how it will be controlled, financed, organised and run in order to succeed." (Pages 3-4)
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"Comment appuyer plus efficacement la professionnalisation des médias ? Nos propositions n’ont finalement rien de très spécifique au secteur des médias : la plupart des problèmes relevés ici se posent de façon à peu près identique dans d’autres secteurs de l’aide au développement. Qu
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atre points nous paraissent fondamentaux : Concevoir les appuis à partir d’une vision d’ensemble du secteur, quand bien même ces appuis sont de faible ampleur; S’engager sur la durée pour accompagner la professionnalisation du secteur; Renforcer la presse en tant que secteur économique; Enfin, assumer le fait que certaines fonctions collectives et transversales ne peuvent être autofinancées." (Synthèse)
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"This study proposes four focus areas for support to the media in these provinces including: Strengthening the Media Environment; Developing Professional Skills and Resources; Facilitating Information Flows and Access; Supporting Community-based Communication." (Recommendations, page 50)
"The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) regards this brochure as a document for discussion and orientation on the growing importance of information – and especially access to information – in international development cooperation. This document seeks to establish a framework for
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stimulating activities in this domain. It is also a contribution from SDC to the wider debate on access to information as one of the essential components of governance." (Introduction, page 4)
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"Highlights the major accomplishments and setbacks of electoral, human rights and media assistance to eight post-conflict countries: Cambodia, Ethipoia, Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, El Salvador and Guatemala. International assistance has been instrumental in encouraging democratic initi
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atives in post-Conflict societies. However, democracy assistance has not been as effective as it could have been for a number of reasons." (commbox)
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"When the Communist barricades collapsed in 1989, hundreds of Americans rushed to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics to spread the gospel of democracy. Among them were some of America’s most altruistic journalists, who hoped to midwife a newly independent press. Since then, the U.S. go
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vernment and private agenc ies have spent more than $600 million on media development. The payoff for these millions has been the training and empowerment of thousands of journalists, the establishment of numerous television and radio networks, the resurrection and creation of newspapers and, in some countries, the toppling of corrupt governments due to reporting that was unimaginable before 1989. Balancing these successes, though, is a second wave of repression and censorship in many places, including the core post-Communist societies where most of the money was spent. In much of the former U.S.S.R, for example, millions of dollars in aid have not produced a viable independent media." (Introduction)
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"There are five elements of USAID’s strategic approach to ICT for development: Policy Reform: Getting telecommunications policy right is the foundation for growth in the sector and for the affordable spread of ICT applications. Access: Connecting with those at the end of the “last mile,” econo
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mically and geographically, is essential for expanding access to the benefits of ICT applications to those of greatest concern to USAID. Capacity Building: Building the capability of professionals and the capacity of institutions leads to broader and more targeted use of these applications. Applications: Innovations in how to apply ICTs to benefit users can speed development. Partnerships: Implementing all these strategic elements depends on collaboration with partners to ensure the needed technical and financial resources." (Executive summary, page 1)
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